by Wyatt Kane
He would have packed in more, but the energy converters were heavy. If he had Tempest’s strength, he would have been able to manage it, but as it was, two was more than enough.
Then Ty turned to Dinah. “Lead the way,” he said. “We need to get to the ground floor of the building.”
The deerkin nodded, but before they left, she turned to Gremlin. “Take care of the place, will you?” she said to the cat. At Dinah’s words, the cat shifted her shoulders, but didn’t look up.
Installation proved simple enough. The main building was empty, but the lights were still on, if a little dim. Everywhere Ty looked, there were signs of neglect. The carpets were faded and worn to the point where the wooden floors were visible beneath. The paint on the walls was cracked and chipped, and countless spiders had made the place their home.
To Ty, it could have been the setting for a ghost story. It was spooky, made all the worse by the emptiness of the place, and the all-pervasive silence.
New Lincoln was a crowded city with too many people jammed into too small a space. The apartment Ty shared with Brad was no different from thousands of others spread throughout many suburbs. Even in the darkest parts of the night, in the small hours, there was always something going on. Somebody running through the hallway or stomping about on the floor above. Maybe an argument from somewhere nearby.
But this was different.
The only sounds Ty could hear were those he and Dinah made. Their breathing. The movements of their clothing. The tread of their feet on the threadbare carpet.
It was enough to put Ty on edge. His breathing became shallow and he started to sweat even in the cool air. He kept looking about as if expecting some monster to creep up on him, maybe a mummy or some sort of zombie. He even forgot about Dinah’s promise as they made their way down to the ground floor.
Nor did his discomfort go unnoticed. Dinah didn’t say anything. She just watched, and dropped back a little. Then, deliberately and with a certain amount of mischievous glee, she pinched his left butt cheek
Ty let out an involuntary squeal and jumped a foot in the air, and Dinah burst out laughing.
“What’s the matter, Ty?” she said, grinning impishly. “You’re not afraid of ghosts, are you? Don’t worry, we haven’t seen any for weeks, now.”
Ty understood she was laughing at him and forced himself to relax.
After that, it was easier. Dinah kept the mood light with teasing and jokes, and soon enough, they made it to the ground floor.
Ty used the floor plans Dinah had sent through as well as the measuring tape to position the first projector disc. Fortunately, the building was symmetrical. The center of the floor was in the middle of a hallway, which meant they didn’t need to break into any of the rooms. It took Ty only a few minutes to fix the projector disc in place and hook it up to the first of the energy converters. When he was done, he looked at Dinah. “The moment of truth,” he said, and she gave him an encouraging look.
“Activate,” Ty said.
Almost at once, the energy converter started to hum. Moments later, a soft, blue nimbus appeared all over the floor.
“It’s working!” Dinah said. The deerkin couldn’t hide her excitement. She clapped her hands and danced about, then drew Ty into a quick embrace and kissed him on his cheek. “This is amazing!” she said.
Ty beamed at her, enormously pleased that she was enjoying the process.
“One down,” he said. “That should stop anyone trying to dig in from underneath. Let’s get on and do the rest.”
The rest went smoothly. They had to return to the Architect’s workshop to pick up more energy converters several times, but only ran into difficulties once, with the disc that needed to be fixed to the ceiling. But even that wasn’t insurmountable. They just grabbed one of the stools from the workshop, and Ty stood on that.
“Perfect,” Ty said when he was done.
They had started working on the discs for the mansion itself when Dinah received a message from Tempest. The deerkin called it up and Tempest’s movie-star face appeared above her device.
“Sorry, they aren’t leaving me alone much, so this has to be quick,” she began. “I’d hoped to be home before now, but for some reason the officer in charge is being overly officious. It’s like he wants to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It’s irritating, but it looks like I’m going to be here for a while yet. Might be an all-nighter.” The blonde superhero’s beautiful face twisted into an expression of annoyance, but then she brightened. “As for that other thing, have at it, with my blessings,” she finished.
As Dinah listened to the message, she looked concerned at first, but broke out into a broad grin towards the end. She raised a single eyebrow at Ty.
“Told you,” she said.
Ty almost dropped the projector disc he was trying to affix to a wall.
Half an hour later, they were done. Ty activated the last of the projectors, and the whole building was shielded.
“So that’s it?” Dinah asked. “It’s done? No one can get in?”
“Not unless we allow it. It would take heavy weaponry to get through the shield. Mercenaries with blasters won’t stand a chance. Not even Bain could force his way in.”
“Lilith?”
Ty shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I’ve got something special for her, just in case.”
Dinah nodded. For a moment, she just stood there, studying Ty closely. Then she started to grin. “About time,” she said. “Come with me.”
18: Dinah’s Bedroom
For some reason, Ty had expected Dinah to lead him to Tempests’ room. Instead, she headed in the opposite direction, to the wing of the mansion where Zach had lived. As Dinah passed the dead superhero’s door, she touched the frame in a gesture that seemed to mix grief with respect. But she didn’t say anything, and a few moments later showed Ty into her room.
“Come in,” she said.
Dinah’s room was nothing like Tempest’s at all. The blonde superhero had managed to feminize what had once been the Architect’s room. Zach’s room was filled with so many pink and purple fur-covered cushions that it looked like a flamboyant explosion of tribbles.
Dinah’s room was more cozy. Only a little smaller than Tempest’s, to Ty it seemed woodsy, with rustic furnishings and a four-poster bed where the posts had been carved to look like trees. Where Zach’s room was covered in mirrors, Dinah’s had none. Just a single large picture of a log cabin in the woods. Yet Dinah’s room was at least as cluttered as the others. The floor was covered in rugs, and there was a myriad of candles and decorative vases on every available surface, and a jar of lollipops on the bedside cabinet.
To Ty, it seemed a good representation of Dinah herself. It was warm and comfortable, and it seemed like a welcome refuge from the city of New Lincoln.
“Do you like it?” the deerkin asked, her voice surprisingly quiet. Ty looked at her and saw that she was, for the first time since he’d known her, uncertain. It was as if she really wanted him to like where she lived.
“I think it’s beautiful. Peaceful,” he said. “Like a woodland hideaway.”
At this, he could almost feel Dinah’s relief. It was as if her room was a window into who she really was, and she had feared for a moment that Ty wouldn’t like it.
“I’m glad,” she said, smiling broadly again. “But you’re still standing there. Come in!”
But Ty hesitated. “Um, give me a moment,” he said. “There’s something I need first.”
Dinah seemed puzzled. “You’re coming back, right?” she asked.
“Absolutely!” Ty said.
As fast as he could, Ty left the room and ran down the stairs. He had to pause to turn off the shield that prevented him from getting into the workshop, but in moments he found what he was looking for. Then he turned and headed back up.
By the time he reached Dinah’s bedroom again, everything had changed. Dinah had lit several of the candles and turned down the lights. There was
gentle music playing from somewhere, and the smell of incense hung lightly in the air.
As for Dinah herself, she had changed out of her normal clothes and into the flimsiest negligee Ty had ever seen. It was black and as delicate as a cobweb, and it hid precisely nothing of her as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Ty stopped in the doorway and just stared.
Dinah grinned broadly, with no shyness at all. “How many times am I going to have to ask you to come in?” she asked.
Ty swallowed hard. His mouth had gone dry and he felt suddenly warm. He had seen her naked before, but with this fine layer of almost-nothing covering her, he found the exquisite deerkin even more alluring than usual. It was as if someone had wrapped one of his favorite gifts in a way that it highlighted all the best bits, but came with the additional bonus of being able to be unwrapped.
It was enough to stop Ty’s brain from working entirely. Or maybe that was simply because all his blood had rushed elsewhere.
Even so, he found the presence of mind to speak. “You are beautiful,” he said. He stumbled towards her, barely remembered to place the object he’d run off to get on the bedside cabinet, and began to awkwardly climb out of his clothes.
Dinah laughed at his clumsy efforts and moved to help him as best as she could. Finally, he managed to free himself of the last of them, joined her in her bed, and reached for her.
They made love for the first time without Tempest’s presence. Ty learned that while Tempest enjoyed control and wasn’t afraid to let loose, Dinah was gentler and preferred him to take the lead. He was more than happy to do so, unwrapping her from her negligee like a gift and exploring her every inch with his hands, lips and tongue. In the flickering light of the candles, he traced the doe-inspired mottling on her skin and enjoyed the small sounds of pleasure she made as he worked his way from her neck, over her breasts, and down the smooth perfection of her belly.
Where Tempest was happy to tell or show him what she wanted to do, Dinah subtly encouraged him to do whatever he wanted. Ty found her supple and willing, and he had to pause several times to wonder at the deerkin’s perfection, and how amazing it was just to be with her.
With Tempest, making love was intense and passionate, and left them both breathless. With Dinah, it was more like a dance, filled with sensuous warmth and enjoyment of each other.
For Ty, the pace and gentle rhythm were perfect. His body still ached from the battle earlier on, and he might not have been a good match for Tempest just then. But Dinah’s needs and desires were ideal.
Their lovemaking built more slowly, following a luxurious rhythm, and yet reached a mutual climax at least as satisfying as any other. And even then, Ty’s desire for her remained undiminished. They maintained their embrace for long minutes after, moving gently still, not yet willing to let go of the sensual pleasure they found in each other.
Finally, Dinah favored him with a broad, languid smile, her arms draped contentedly around his neck. “I take it back,” she said, her voice pitched a little lower than normal. “Maybe Tempest would have been a bit jealous.”
Ty returned her grin and rolled on to his side. “She doesn’t need to be,” he murmured. As he spoke, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was finally beginning to understand what the three of them had between them.
Dinah made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr and snuggled close to him. In less than a minute, she was asleep, leaving Ty to stare up at the ceiling and marvel at how lucky he was. He no longer had a job, his apartment was a mess, but all that mattered to him was that he had Dinah and Tempest. Everything else could take care of itself.
Ty started to drift off to sleep with his mind and body content, perfectly relaxed and at ease.
He was nearly asleep when the bed shook a little. He wondered at the cause until he felt something move on top of the covers next to his feet.
Gremlin, his sleepy mind supplied. The conclusion gained weight when he heard the distinct sound of the cat purring in the darkness. Somehow, Gremlin had found them, although Ty suspected the traitorous creature was more drawn to Dinah than to him.
Either way, it seemed that the cat had chosen to keep them company for the night, and that was enough for Ty. As the last remnant of his consciousness faded into dreams, he found himself smiling.
19: Raging Hellspawn
Ty’s dreams were filled with images of peace and tranquility, shapeless expressions of comfort and enjoyment. Within them were hints of Dinah and Tempest, and also, surprisingly, of Lilith, but there was nothing cohesive enough to have form or function. They were simply a reflection of his state of mind, and he would have been happy to enjoy them until he woke naturally in morning.
But he wasn’t given that option. Sometime near dawn, his peace and tranquility were shattered. One moment, he was fast asleep with Dinah beside him, and the next he was wide awake with his heart pounding as he wondered what was going on.
“Wake up!” someone was shouting. “I don’t have time for you to sleep!”
To Ty, it was like the shout of a demon reaching into his dreams and wrenching him awake. He gasped in shock and his heart started to beat loud and fast in his ears. He found himself scrambling to a sitting position against Dinah’s headboard, realizing belatedly that he was still naked.
Nor was he the only one to be startled. Dinah uttered a squeal and ducked under the covers to hide, her reaction the complete opposite of what Tempest might have done.
Gremlin took off like a rocket and disappeared into the hallway outside.
There was just enough early-morning light for Ty to see. It was Lilith, the demon woman hovering at the foot of the bed, her wings flapping in the air. There was blood on her lip and it looked as if her cheek had been bruised, and once again there was a whiff of ozone in the air mixed with the woman’s own warm, earthy scent.
“You promised you would help!” she bellowed. “And what have you done? Nothing! I am still trapped, and so is my father!”
It took Ty’s brain cells a few moments to catch up. A small part of his mind told him that at least now he was certain that the shield was not proof against the demoness. He cast a quick glance at the object he’d left on the bedside cabinet, a thick cylinder of steel no more than eight inches long.
The woman seemed deranged or furious, or perhaps both at once. Ty was actively frightened. He knew what Lilith was capable of and knew also that he wasn’t wearing his personal shield any more. Except for the device that never left his wrist, he wasn’t wearing anything at all.
Yet he wasn’t frightened for himself so much as he was frightened for Dinah. The deerkin had already been kidnapped once by Bain’s men. She had been taken from this very mansion against her will.
There was no way Ty would let her be taken again.
“Lilith!” Ty yelled the woman’s name if only to make himself heard through her fury. “Why are you here? What are you doing?”
The demon woman looked even more distraught. She brought up the hands as if to claw at her face, then pulled them away again. Yet she didn’t provide any additional information.
“You promised!” she shrieked. At the same time, Ty thought he felt the bed start to shudder.
“That was before I found out you lied!” Ty replied. Without looking away from the demon woman, he snaked a hand out and grabbed the metal cylinder. It was the weapon he’d had in mind to use against her, but as yet Lilith was too far away. He had to keep her talking. Had to prevent her from teleporting him or Dinah away.
“I did not lie to you!” the demoness wailed, a little confusion taking some of the volume from her rage.
“Your father is dead!” Ty said.
A myriad of expressions passed over Lilith’s features. Shock and horror were there, then confusion and fear. It was as if Ty’s words came as unwelcome news. Then she seems to understand.
“It’s my stepfather they have,” she said, more quietly. “He raised me from when I was a child.”
It was
as if Ty had been kicked in the chest. All at once, he didn’t know what to believe. Was everything Lilith had said true again? Or was this just another lie to cover the one that had been exposed?
Why had Lilith gone out of her way to warn him of the attack?
Ty didn’t know what to do. Nor, apparently, did Lilith. She hovered at the foot of the bed with an expression of frustration and rage twisting her beautiful features. All at once, as if making up her mind, she clenched her fists and let out a bellow of fury that was more than just noise. It was infused with her power as well, and this time Ty was certain. The bed was shaking. As was the floor, and the walls, and perhaps the entire mansion.
This was the demon woman’s special attack, and it could rip up roads like an earthquake. Ty thought it likely that Lilith could level the whole building if she chose to do so. He had no choice but to act.
Heedless of his nakedness, Ty lunged toward Lilith with his weapon charged and ready.
It was a police baton he’d taken from one of the mercenaries. He didn’t want to hurt by Lilith, or anyone. But she gave him no choice. With a quick shake, he extended the baton to its full length and flicked the on-switch so that a blue line of energy ran along its length.
He touched her with the end of it, and the charge it contained did the rest. It was like the stun gun Ty had made from cannibalized bits of his toaster and microwave oven.
Lilith’s cry of rage turned into a shriek of pain and she crumpled onto the floor.
<<<>>>
Ty’s lunge had taken him partway off the end of Dinah’s bed. He had one foot on the floor and was kneeling on the other, and breathing as heavily as if he’d just run up four flights of stairs.
His primary concern was to ensure Lilith was no longer a threat. Still ignoring his state of undress, he left Dinah’s bed completely with his police baton gripped in his fist. The line of blue energy that ran along its length indicated it was ready to be used again at any moment. Yet it seemed unlikely that he would need it.
